Online Activities

Responding to Online Abuse

If you become aware of online abuse towards a member of your party, you should always discuss the situation with the person and talk to them about what they want to do. The abuse may come from people who have nothing to do with the party or a situation might happen where your members carry out online abuse against another member, candidate or elected representative or share inappropriate or offensive material. In both cases, it is important to:

  • Have a clear social media and online behaviour policy which includes examples of behaviour that won’t be tolerated and states online abuse will receive the same consequences as face to face abuse;
  • Have a clear process through which people can report incidences of online abuse;
  • Use your disciplinary procedures to reprimand or expel members or supporters who carry out inappropriate online behaviour, online bullying or harassment;
  • Make sure that party staff and/or committee members are following the social media accounts of candidates and elected representative so they can report online abuse and support the victims of it;
  • Quickly block the accounts of non-members who send abuse to your candidates and elected representatives;
  • Have a public statement on your website about your commitment to equality and that abusive or offensive behaviour won’t be tolerated. Include this statement in materials given to new members;
  • Make sure you have a password for your online meetings and set guidance for expected behaviour at online meetings. You might want to think about only sending the joining details to an online meeting once people have read and signed up to a code of conduct;
  • Ask groups within the party who experience online abuse including LGBTI, disabled, ethnic minority and women’s networks to input into strategies for tackling the problem.

There is a tendency to try and deal with incidents of online abuse or trolling by keeping in within the party. However, many inappropriate online behaviours are actually illegal, for example online harassment. If you think someone has committed a criminal offense, you should report it to the Police.

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